AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Can’t complain.” He glanced around the room. “This is nice.”
“Thanks. Have a seat.” I gestured toward the two chairs in front of my desk, and he sat in one. I stood and crossed the room to the bar and set out two glasses. “Bourbon or scotch?”
He shrugged. “Bourbon, thanks.”
“Let me know what kind you like, and I’ll stock it.” I handed him his drink, smiling as I sat back down in my chair and took a sip of my drink. “So, what’s up?”
“Just came to check on you, girl.” He swirled his drink, giving me a caring look. “Make sure everything is going okay.”
“Oh, I’m fine. We have the invitations ready. I just need a date.” I explained my plan for the opening and for the exclusivity, and Lucian loved it.
“Yeah, Red, that’s a good idea! Leave them wanting more!”
“What do you think about serving food?”
His head tilted to one side. “I don’t know. On one hand, you know a lot of strip clubs serve food. It might be nice. I can’t think of what you’d serve, though.”
“Yeah, me either. We figured we would wait and see how things played out and then maybe introduce food later.” I took another sip of my drink. “One of the wives is a chef, so I’ll talk to her and see if she has any ideas.”
Lucian nodded his head. “I’m proud of you, Red.”
“Thank you. It means a lot.” I could feel the flush rising in my cheeks. “But I haven’t done anything yet.”
“No, you’ve done plenty. I respect you not letting anyone, or anything, stop you. You know what I mean?” He shook his head. “A horrible thing happened to you.” His eyes stayed on the floor. I knew he was thinking about his daughter. The same thing happened to her. “A horrible, disgusting thing happened to you, and you fought through it. And I… respect that. You’re staying focused on business and—”
“And revenge.”
He smiled, nodding as he took another sip. “And revenge. You keep going, and I respect that because you could just stop and crawl into a hole and stay there. But here you are. And that is something to be proud of.”
I drew in a shaky breath, blinking away the tears forming in my eyes. “Are you trying to make me cry, Lucian?”
“Not my intention. I just wanted you to know that I was proud and worried about you.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s been tough. I’m not going to lie. But I’m working through it.”
“Well, you’re doing a hell of a job, girl. Keep doing that thing you do.” He gave me a kind, fatherly smile. “Did your men find those guys?”
“Yeah, we found them.”
His eyebrow ticked up. “And are they still alive?”
“I’m still working my way through them.” I shrugged. “One down, four to go.”
“What happened? I mean, how did you—”
“Acid.”
Lucian blinked. “I’m sorry… what?”
“I poured acid all over him, and then when he tried to scream, I poured the last of it down his throat.”
“Damn, Red.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Remind me to never piss you off.”
I chuckled. “Don’t worry. We’re good.” I looked down at my drink and then back into his eyes. “Lucian, thank you for everything. I can’t tell you what a help you’ve been.”
He nodded, rising to his feet as he gave my hand a fatherly pat. “If you need anything at all, let me know.”
I nodded, appreciating the gesture. “Thank you.”
